If you’re working in Photoshop on a file that’s getting too large or complex for your computer to handle, you may need to change your scratch disk. Photoshop uses your scratch disk to store information temporarily as it works on a file. The scratch disk is where Photoshop saves information about the image you’re working on, as well as any history states and undo information.
By default, Photoshop uses your system drive (usually the C: drive) as the scratch disk, but you can change it to any other internal or external hard drive connected to your computer. You can even use multiple hard drives if you have them.
To change your scratch disk in Photoshop, go to Edit > Preferences > Performance. In the Memory Usage section, you’ll see a drop-down menu next to “Scratch disks. “ By default, this is set to “Let Photoshop use 70% of my RAM”.
You can leave it at this setting, or you can select a specific hard drive from the drop-down menu. If you have multiple hard drives connected to your computer, you can select more than one by holding down the Ctrl (Windows) or Command (macOS) key while clicking on the drives you want to use. Once you’ve selected all the drives you want to use as scratch disks, click “OK” to save your changes.
Conclusion:
Changing your scratch disk in Photoshop is a quick and easy way to free up space on your system drive and improve performance. Be sure to select all the drives you want to use as scratch disks before clicking “OK” to save your changes.
PRO TIP: If you are not familiar with the Photoshop preferences, do not attempt to change the scratch disk without opening Photoshop first. Incorrectly changing the scratch disk settings can result in data loss or corruption.
5 Related Question Answers Found
The Scratch Disk is where Photoshop stores information as you’re working on an image. It’s like a virtual chalkboard where Photoshop can do its math. The default location for the Scratch Disk is on your startup drive, but you can change it in the Preferences dialog box.
If you’re running Photoshop on a Windows computer, you may have seen the message “scratch disks are full” at some point. This means that your computer is running out of space to store temporary files that Photoshop uses while it’s running. Clearing your scratch disks can free up space on your hard drive and help Photoshop run more smoothly.
Adding a scratch disk to Photoshop is a simple process that can be completed in just a few steps. By adding a scratch disk, you can improve the performance of Photoshop and make it run more smoothly. Here’s how to add a scratch disk to Photoshop:
1.
Adding a scratch disk to Photoshop is a relatively easy process, but one that can be easily overlooked if you’re not familiar with the program. A scratch disk is simply a location on your hard drive where Photoshop can store temporary files, and is used to improve performance when working with large or complex files. By default, Photoshop will use your system drive ( typically C: ) as the scratch disk, but you can change this to any other location on your hard drive.
If you can’t complete your scratch disks full Photoshop, it’s likely because you’re using an older version of the software. As of Photoshop CC 2015, the software no longer uses scratch disks. Instead, it uses a feature called “Smart Objects” to automatically save your work.
